News

Jasper, Texas is pretty proud of their very own Todd Faircloth today. As he
ventures to the Bassmasters Elite Tourny in Green Bay this week...he takes with
him a $100 thousand paycheck. That, after winning the Elite Tourny in La Crosse
held over the weekend. Fairlcoth said that he, in no way, thought he would win
after a rough day Sunday.

And he did just that. A three and a half pounder with 15 minutes to go in the
tourny. He topped Cliff Pace by over a pound.

Three weeks of testimony have ended...and the Eric Koula murder trial could reach its finish sometime on Monday.

Jurors will get the case after closing arguments in La Crosse County Court. Eric consistently denies killing his parents for money, but he has admitted to lying about a forged check and a threatening note. Eric claims he was shopping for an anniversary present for his wife at the hour that police believe the murders occurred in Barre Mills. The defense suggests that professional killers must have shot Eric's parents, because very little physical evidence was left behind at the crime scene.

A first-time murderer does not necessarily make mistakes that would give him away...

That's what a government agent has testified, as the last witness at the Eric Koula murder trial in La Crosse.

FBI agent Robert Morton was called this morning to comment on crimes committed by first-timers, compared to experienced criminals. Morton says some murderers have learned techniques through TV shows, calling it the 'C-S-I effect.' Eric Koula's defense team argues that professional criminals may have killed Eric's parents, because so little incriminating evidence was left at the scene.

His picture was plastered all over Facebook for a week. Now, Jeremy Trussoni is behind bars . Trussoni was arrested last night after a short foot pursuit with La Crosse Police Investigators in the area of 1000 Avon Street. Trussoni was charged with Armed Robbery, Bailjumping, Obstructing and a local warrant. Trussoni is the suspect in a June 11th armed robbery of a local cab driver. With the help of the La Crosse Police Department Facebook page and a local Crime Stopper tip, Investigators were able to get a general location of Trussoni that led to his arrest.

It took just a couple of days for the La Crosse city council to override the latest veto from Mayor Matt Harter. Harter had Tuesday vetoed a development deal between the city and Kwik Trip, citing concerns about the city using public money to help specific businesses succeed. The city council voted Thursday to override that veto by a vote of 13-2. Jim Bloedorn and Doug Farmer were the only council members who voted to sustain the veto.

The Eric Koula jury is likely to hear one more day of testimony before getting the case...

Judge Scott Horne announced to jurors yesterday that the defense has just one more witness to call on Friday, and the prosecution will have a few more. Otherwise, Horne expects to have closing arguments on Monday, with deliberations beginning later that day. He had expected testimony to last through next Tuesday. Friday will mark the end of the third week of the Koula trial. The West Salem man is accused of killing his parents two years ago for money, after going broke repeatedly in the stock market.

An accident blocked traffic on Highway 14 in southern Minnesota for a couple of hours, west of Lewiston. Late in the afternoon, the Minnesota DOT said the entire highway was blocked. The road was cleared around 6 p.m.

More doubt this morning in the Eric Koula case, about when Koula's parents were murdered...

The defense presented a neighbor, Jeff Elliott, who believes he saw Dennis and Merna Koula alive in their yard at 8 p-m, about two hours after the time police believe they were shot on a Friday in 2010. D-A Tim Gruenke asked Elliott how sure he was of what night he saw the Koulas in their yard.

Elliott says he recognized Dennis by his white hair. Investigators claim Eric Koula shot his parents between 5 and 6 p-m on that Friday, and reported finding them dead the following Monday.